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Hello, Pigale!
It feels like minus 1 indoors without our c/heating on!
Although the electric rads are beginning to warm everywhere up a little now.
All was well when we went to bed last night....we woke up to "Winter Wonderland" indoors - without the snow effects!

Elle, is your engineer going to come today? on a Sunday? If so, it is good service !

I sympathize with you though - I too have oil filled electric rads and they are useful as an extra heat when extremely cold, or for an hour or two in mid season, just to keep the chill away; but certainly not enough with the present sort of temps. Try and keep warm. Going outside for a while and coming back in might give you the feeling of a warm house .....!

Good morning Elle, Joe Hill was a civil rights activist in US of A. I've a recording of Paul Robeson singing about him. You can hear it on you tube. Just type in Joe Hill Paul Robeson you tube and you'll find and hear it.The voice alone should warm you up!

Am about to light a log fire as my central heating has gone off. Need to change the batteries in the detector unit, I guess. Hope your chap comes Elle- bet he's busy!

Hello, Elle!
Jeepers! No central heating! I am sure the British Gas lads will get you going very quickly. Maybe a dodgy thermostat?
Do not panic!!!
My gas central heating is looked after by a local company and they replaced a circuit board earlier in the year when I was having intermittent problems. Fine now!
I am slightly surprised you do not know of Joe Hill, even from your student days?
I do not think I was ever at a folk singing night without someone requesting the "Joe Hill song"!
Joe was a Swedish/American, songwriter, and union organiser, who fell foul of copper mine owners in Utah.
He was "allegedly" framed for a murder, found guilty, and executed by firing squad in Utah, in 1915.
His last words "don't mourn, organise", and he asked his friends to make sure his body did not stay in Utah.
Joe's songs live on.
I will get several more books, that will be my Christmas gift to myself
It IS a tad chilly to have no central heating!.

Hi, Dandybandy!
Thank you for the info - and I shall check out Paul Robeson once I have warmed up!
Have a good day!

Hi, Rusty!
I am very impressed with the Home Care service from British Gas! The engineer has been and all is now fixed!
The fault was the Timer- it had "died" and consequently the c/h boiler didn't know that it was supposed to function!
A new timer has solved the problem and we are now gradually thawing out!
The engineer didn't have a replacement timer on his van, but drove out to meet one of his colleagues to collect one for us! Great service.
Thank you for all the information about Joe Hill - no, regrettably I knew nothing of him. I shall listen to Paul Robeson ( I like him) singing Joe's songs later on.
Right now, we shall leave the heating to warm up the house and take the dog out to the park.
She has been incredibly patient waiting for her walk this morning, as of course we couldn't go out until after the B.G engineer had been.
The sun is shining - and no we didn't have any snow! Has yours melted yet? Or is it sticking?
I shall do a "MacArthur"!

Joan Baez also made a version of the song

Good afternoon, Elle!
Well done, British Gas!
My snow is going rapidly. Yahoo!!!
You will be glad to get out with doggie for a brisk walk.
My favourite singing "Joe Hill" is Joan Baez, live, at Woodstock, I think it was. What a voice she has! Many have sung the song including Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Woody Guthrie, etc etc.
Now, a bit of useless information for you.
We have mentioned idioms etc in the past, so....
The phrase "pie in the sky" was coined by Joe Hill, in his song The Preacher and the Slave".
Yes, good old MacArthur, he kept his word, too!

Hi, Doglet!
It's great to hear from you - you have been away from the forum for quite a while!
How is the wildlife in your garden progressing? Funnily enough, we rarely get hedgehogs here - and it cannot be because of our dog and cats, as you have those too.
What happened to the grey stray cat that you were feeding?